Quick Answer
The answer is that the IS auditor’s primary concern must be that the vendor selection process lacked due diligence. This is correct because proper acquisition governance requires evaluating a vendor’s financial stability, support history, and long-term viability before purchase, not just the lowest price. When due diligence is bypassed, the organization assumes unacceptable operational risk, as seen when the vendor’s bankruptcy left a critical bug unfixed. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your grasp of the Information Systems Acquisition, Development, and Implementation domain, specifically the principle that root-cause failures in procurement governance outweigh isolated technical fixes. A common trap is focusing on the immediate bug or the consultant hire, but the auditor’s role is to flag the systemic process failure. Memory tip: think “Price is not proof” — lowest cost never excuses skipping vendor vetting.
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of information systems acquisition, development and implementation. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A small manufacturing company decides to acquire an off-the-shelf inventory management system. The purchasing manager selects a vendor based solely on the lowest price, ignoring the vendor's financial stability and support history. After purchase, the vendor declares bankruptcy, leaving the company without support. The system has a critical bug that halts inventory tracking. The IT manager considers hiring a consultant to fix the bug. As an IS auditor, what should the auditor's PRIMARY concern be?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
There is no backup system for inventory management.
Why wrong: Important but secondary.
The company may have legal recourse against the vendor.
Why wrong: Does not address process improvement.
The critical bug disrupts inventory tracking.
Why wrong: The bug is a consequence of poor selection.
The vendor selection process lacked due diligence.
Root cause is process failure.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The vendor selection process lacked due diligence.
The primary concern for an IS auditor is that the vendor selection process lacked due diligence, as this directly violates the principle of proper acquisition governance. By selecting a vendor based solely on lowest price without evaluating financial stability and support history, the company exposed itself to significant operational risk, which materialized when the vendor declared bankruptcy. This oversight is a root cause failure in the information systems acquisition and implementation process, making it the most critical audit finding.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
There is no backup system for inventory management.
Why it's wrong here
Important but secondary.
The company may have legal recourse against the vendor.
Why it's wrong here
Does not address process improvement.
The critical bug disrupts inventory tracking.
Why it's wrong here
The bug is a consequence of poor selection.
The vendor selection process lacked due diligence.
Why this is correct
Root cause is process failure.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates focus on the immediate operational impact (the bug or lack of backup) rather than the root cause governance failure in the acquisition process, which is the auditor's primary concern per CISA's emphasis on preventive controls.
Detailed technical explanation
In IT acquisition, due diligence involves evaluating vendor financial health (e.g., reviewing audited financial statements, credit ratings) and support history (e.g., SLA adherence, patch release frequency). The COBIT framework's APO10 (Manage Suppliers) and the ISO/IEC 27036 standard for supplier relationships mandate such assessments to ensure continuity of critical business applications. A failure here can cascade into unplanned costs, data integrity issues, and operational downtime, as seen when the inventory system's bug remains unpatched.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the CISA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — This question tests Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The vendor selection process lacked due diligence. — The primary concern for an IS auditor is that the vendor selection process lacked due diligence, as this directly violates the principle of proper acquisition governance. By selecting a vendor based solely on lowest price without evaluating financial stability and support history, the company exposed itself to significant operational risk, which materialized when the vendor declared bankruptcy. This oversight is a root cause failure in the information systems acquisition and implementation process, making it the most critical audit finding.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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